The Man Who Saved The World
by Laatija
Summary: The inhabitants of Atlantis are saved by a different sort of person...All kinds of whump invovled! **FINALLY FINISHED**
1. And They're Off!

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate Atlantis, you can't make me! Well…ok so I would buy it in a heart beat…

**The Man Who Saved the World**

"All I'm saying is that if he had an unlimited supply to Kryptonite, Spiderman could easily kill Superman." John insisted as they geared up for their next mission. "He could fling it with a web and not even get close to Superman."

"Oh like he would even have an unlimited supply! Admit it, he would kick Spiderman's butt!" Rodney retorted as he snapped his backpack onto his tactical vest.

"Superman isn't even as cool as Spiderman. What's cool about a man who you can't even hurt easily? A good superhero has to have weaknesses. If they don't have a weakness then there is nothing for them to overcome." John explained. Rodney gave him a weird look.

"You've really thought about this." The scientist said in a somewhat mocking tone. Sheppard shrugged.

"I've spent a _lot_ of time in the infirmary." He said with a frown. Ronon walked up behind them.

"Superman is boring." The big man grumbled.

"Shows how much you know Conan." Rodney said.

"Batman's the greatest warrior." Ronon insisted. "He doesn't need any special powers."

"Good point." John admitted as the meandered into the embarkation room.

"What are you arguing about this time?" Elizabeth asked from behind the dialing computer.

"Superheroes."

"I was always a fan Storm." Weir admitted as the gate spun. Teyla perked up.

"I prefer Catwoman."

"You would." Rodney grumbled. The team trudged forward and into the gate. From behind his station, Chuck considered voicing his opinion that the Green Lantern could beat them all but then the wormhole shut down. It was really for the best as a lowly gate technician was only to be seen and rarely heard. The lowly gate technician was only there to insure that the monotonous job of dialing gates and raising shields didn't fall on the more important members of the expedition.

Chuck watched them go with something close to envy. He wished fervently that he could go through that gate again. The first and last time he had done so was to get here from Earth. All he could do though was dial the gate or raise the shield or shut down the gate or run diagnostic scans or other boring tasks. He felt a twinge of pride at being the one to raise the shield against dangers or lower it to let their own people through in the nick of time but that was nothing compared to the exhilarating feeling of stepping into that wormhole.

Chuck sighed. Dr.Weir over heard him and put a hand on the corner of his chair.

"Why don't you take a brake Chuck? We have enough people to handle things here." She offered. He nodded.

"Thank you Dr.Weir." He said in earnest. Now she was a nice boss. His last boss, well for that matter his last job, was of the devil. The only reason Chuck got the job of gate technician was because he was good friends with Walter, the gate technician over at the SGC. He sighed again.

Chuck made his way to the mess hall, indulging in one of the few things that chased away his gloom; jello. Halfway into his second cup, he was feeling human again. A quick glance at his watch made him feel even better. He scooped up the last of his jello and hurried off to the gym.

"Lt. Crown, how are you today?" He asked the marine in the gym. She smiled.

"I'm fine and call me Anna." She insisted. "Have you been practicing? Remember, to get good at Kempo, you need to practice." For the next two hours, she took him through a simple routine that left him gasping for breath. Anna laughed at him. "You're doing better. You'll be at a brown belt level soon, keep it up."

He nodded breathlessly, sucking down water from his water bottle. "Thanks Anna." He said when he could breathe well enough to say something.

"You're welcome Chuck. I'll see you on Thursday unless you're coming to the movie tonight." She looked hopeful.

"I'll see you then." He assured her, smiling awkwardly. She gave him a sweet smile and trotted off. Chuck watched her go, feeling a twinge of regret as she turned the corner. He shook his head, suddenly feeling foolish, and started off for his own quarters.

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Small movie nights in Atlantis were common. Most of the personnel had their own little groups that planed get-togethers that usually involved them commandeering the rec room. A city wide movie night in Atlantis was a rare and blessed occasion and one that Chuck himself rarely went to. He told people that it was because he wasn't much of a movie buff but really it was because of what Heightmeyer called poor social skills. He usually spent these nights on the highest balcony he could find armed with a journal, a pencil and a book light. But tonight, he would go to the movie. Why? He kept asking himself as he showered and changed into some more relaxed clothes. Why was he stepping out of his comfort zone? For Anna, that's why. Chuck felt embarrassed that he had even considered going _just _to see his Kempo instructor. He felt like a school boy with a crush on his teacher. With the disturbing image of his third grade instructor in a swim suit firmly imbedded his mind, Chuck left for the movie night.

The Atlantis personnel who had managed to get the night off crowded into the recreation room. The large room consisted of four ancient couches, a host of plastic lawn chairs, a barrowed big screen TV, a broken pool table and three crates filled to the brim with DVDs. The half of the crew of the Daedalus beamed down with a few crates of soda and snacks.

People were milling around, waiting for the movie to start, by the time Chuck got there. He slipped inside and stood near the back wall, feeling awkward and out of place. He quickly scanned the room for signs of Anna and soon got discouraged when he couldn't find her. Chuck was about to leave when she stepped into view. She smiled when she saw him and gave a small wave. His heart did a somersault in his chest as he walked up to her.

"Hi." He said, feeling like a fool. Chuck couldn't help but notice the way the soft light reflected off of her blond hair, reminding him of a golden sunrise.

"Hey." Her voice floated up to his ears like sweet melodious music. The seat next to her was empty and Chuck saw it as his opportunity to get closer to his instructor. A sudden wave of butterflies assaulted his stomach and for a scarce moment, Chuck was afraid he was going to lose his lunch. He berated himself for not being the man that he was. With a huff, Chuck pushed back the butterflies and strode forward, planning on planting himself in the seat next to Anna's. As he neared her though, a man popped up out of nowhere to take his desired seat. Chuck froze in horror of the scene that was playing out before him. The intruder scooted his chair closer to Anna's, chatting away as if he were married to the woman. Chuck's eye's narrowed as he watched the man lean in and kiss Anna full on the lips. With flushed cheeks, Chuck whirled around and walked out of the room, suddenly not in the mood for Die Hard with a Vengeance.

He wandered the halls for over an hour, going nowhere in particular, simply walking and enjoying the quiet emptiness of them. His wanderings took him into the nearly empty control room. One technician sat reading a paperback book in the corner. Chuck sat in his normal seat and simply stared at the stargate. He looked over at the technician.

"I'll take it from here Tracy." He said. The woman smiled.

"Thanks Chuck." She chirped before hurrying off.

Chuck was just starting to work himself into a funk due to his ruined night when the gate started to spin. He tapped his radio and raised the shield.

"Unscheduled off world activation." He said, activating the alarm.

Dr.Weir trotted into the control room. "Who is it?" She asked him.

"Dr.Rodney McKay's IDC code ma'am." Chuck answered.

"Lower the shield." She ordered. As he did, marines filed in around the gate, ready for anything that came through.

"_Elizabeth, this is Rodney, we're coming in hot, get ready to raise the shield after we come through."_ McKay yelled the words into the radio.

"We hear you Rodney." Weir assured him. The soldiers shifted nervously as they waited for the team's return. The radio chatter from the other planet flitted through ear pieces and speakers.

"_Rodney! Get out of the way!"_ Colonel Sheppard yelled. The distinct whine of a dart engine thrummed in the background.

"_AHHHHHHHH!" _Came the scientists' frantic reply.

"_Move your—"_ An explosion cut off further words and was followed by a pained groan.

"Colonel? John please respond." Elizabeth chewed her bottom lip. "John I'm going to need to raise the shield, please respond." Nothing but static hung on over radio frequency in reply. Weir turned to Chuck and opened her mouth to give the command when a huge object hurtled through the gate.

Chuck saw what it was out of the corner of his eye and it was only by the grace of God that he moved as fast as he did. With near superhuman reactions, he shoved Elizabeth out of the way just as the long needle like nose of a wraith dart stabbed into the space she used to be standing in. The alien aircraft backtracked madly in the smallish space. It finally soared upward into the open jumper bay but not before the culling beam shot out.

Chuck could feel his consciousness being ripped away from him and he was helpless to resist.

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**T**o **B**e **C**ontinued (_scary music)_


	2. Chapter 2

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Chuck awoke to the sensation of his head was being split with an ax. He moaned.

Someone mumbled something he couldn't hear to him. He opened his eyes to find the soft kind eyes of Teyla Emmagan staring down at him.

"What happened?" He slurred past lips that refused to work properly.

"We are on a wraith hive ship." She explained.

"But…but I was at Atlantis…" He mumbled.

"I do not know how but you were captured. Dr. McKay has been trying to figure it out."

"Oh, is he awake?" The irritating voice of Rodney McKay came from behind him. Chuck twisted himself around to look at the scientist.

"What happened Chuck?" McKay demanded. Chucks mind hurried to catch up with the rest of his body and he ended up staring at the scientist for a full three minutes before his mouth started to work.

"A dart! A dart ship came through the gate!" Chuck shouted, suddenly alarmed.

"Be quiet." Ronon growled. Chuck looked around for the first time and his stomach churned as he took in the dank walls and webbed doors. He only recognized the holding cell from descriptions that he had over heard.

"Dr.Weir?" Chuck asked.

"Over here." Elizabeth sat in the corner, her head resting on drawn up knees. She gave a half hearted wave without looking up.

"I'm sorry Dr.Weir; I should have raised the shield." Chuck said sullenly.

"No need to apologize Chuck." Weir insisted. "John, care to get us out of here?"

"I'm working on it." Sheppard assured them. But Chuck noticed the dreaded look on the colonel's face.

"What do we do now?" Chuck asked.

"We wait." Teyla answered.

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Hours had gone by. Long, boring, agonizing hours. Chuck was beginning to think that the worst part about being captured was the waiting. Since he had regained consciousness six hours ago he hadn't seen any sign of an actual living breathing wraith. The waiting was making him anxious. He was surprised to find that the others were as calm as could be. They sat around, just thinking and planning. Every now and then an attempt would be made at small talk. Chuck could only pace back and forth in the tiny space.

"Stop fidgeting Chuck." McKay growled.

"He's right Chuck. Stop wasting energy; you'll need it later on." Elizabeth explained. Chuck nodded nervously and forcefully sat. As soon as he hit the ground, a loud clanging ricocheted off the walls. He bolted upright again, feeling wound up enough to snap if anything else happened.

"Easy." Ronon muttered in a poor attempt to calm him. _Easy? I'm stuck in a wraith hive ship in another galaxy when I should be watching Die Hard back in Atlantis and he tells me to take it easy!_ Chuck thought as he glared at the Sateden.

"What?" Ronon demanded, returning the glare with doubled intensity.

"Wha- nothing…just—"

The door hissed open to reveal an entourage of wraith bruisers. Chuck's stomach leapt up into his throat and he choked on a mouth full of spit. Teyla quickly ushered him to the side and away from the hate filled stares of the wraith. One wraith stepped forward and pointed at Sheppard then turned with a particularly evil sneer to point at Chuck, enjoying the look of terror in the man's eyes. Two masked wraith came forward to grab Chuck and John leapt into their path.

"You don't need him. I'm the only one you want. He doesn't know anything." The colonel babbled. His stomach suddenly made friends with the butt of wraith stunner. The other inhabitants of the cell tensed, ready to duke it out to save their commander. Even McKay took a step forward. Chuck saw Ronon's eyes narrow and his muscles tense. Sheppard held up a hand and breathlessly shook his head as he aloud himself to be carried away. Chuck trotted forward dumbly, not wishing his own stomach to meet the same fate as the colonels.

He suddenly felt guilty as he thought back on the fierce loyalty the others showed toward each other. The heroism displayed by all of them with such a willingness to interfere on behalf of one another was something that was alien to Chuck. He sorely wished that his own cowardice wouldn't interfere as much so he might be part of that sort friendship.

Colonel Sheppard and Chuck were led into a large ominous room. Chuck was forced to stay in the entrance to the room while Sheppard was led into the middle of it. As the other man passed him, Chuck noticed a strange change in his demeanor. Sheppard's face morphed from a look of despair to one of annoyance and pride. The ease of that switch surprised Chuck as he himself was a blubbering mess.

A tall imposing female wraith suddenly appeared. She strode purposely toward Sheppard. The two exchanged some words that Chuck couldn't hear. Then he saw the colonel tense up completely. The man shook as he slowly sank to his knees in front of the wraith whose lips parted in a sickly smile as she caressed Sheppards face with a long dagger. Sheppard was starting to gasp now as he shook. Chuck could see the obvious pain that the colonel was in and yet he felt helpless to do anything about it. The wraith leaned down and spoke in his ear and the colonel squirmed.

"Stop!" Chuck yelled. He suddenly didn't know what he was doing but something deep inside him had snapped.

The wraith queen hissed and glared at him. "Bring him forward." She ordered. Chuck found himself being dragged up to her. Sheppard sat to one side, gasping and furious.

"Who are you?" She demanded. The colonel struggled to sit upright.

"He's nobody." Sheppard claimed, angry that Chuck even spoke in the first place.

"Silence." She growled. Sheppard pushed further.

"But—" The queen whipped the knife she'd be toying with across his face, slicing his cheek open at the jaw line. Sheppard squeezed his eyes shut and forced back a cry of pain. Chuck blanched.

"I'm Chuck." He blurted. The wraith turned to him, slightly amused.

"Who are you?" She demanded again.

"I—I'm Chuck…the uh…the gate technician…" The Chuck whimpered. Sheppard groaned.

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	3. Chapter 3

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The queen was bemused by the so called courage of these humans. She had known about Sheppard long before he had been captured. In way, she could be thankful that he was so determined to destroy her kind. Had it not been for him, the rival queen would have destroyed her by now and the new alliance would not have been formed and the fleet would not be forming to demolish the Lantian pests once and for all.

Yes, she was grateful for the strange man. However, she would enjoy killing him now that the opposition from her own kind was gone.

This newcomer was a mystery. Chuck. He was an impudent fool. The colonel had proved his bravery and his worth many times over but this man was an imposter. She couldn't even derive any pleasure out of killing him. He was simply in the way.

"You're people will die." She muttered. The man called Chuck paled and whimpered. The colonel however was stone-faced. He had a fierce determination in his half lidded eyes. The queen could not help but attempt to nullify his resolve. "When we gather together and I join my forces to those of my kin, we will come upon you with such a force that you will never survive. But now you will die." She cackled. It was time to feed and her hunger was great.

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Chuck glanced fearfully over at the colonel. His eyes were only half opened as he pushed a hand against his jaw in an attempt to keep the long flap of sliced skin still on his face. Blood seeped out at an alarming rate from the cracks in his fingers and along his hand to drip down his arm and off his elbow. Chuck had only seen the wound for a brief second before he had covered it but what he had seen made his stomach churn. A slice of skin several inches long hung sideways from John's face. Fat and muscle could be seen before blood welled up to mask it. The queen wraith grinned wickedly at them. She ran a finger along Sheppard's face and lifted it up to examine the blood that dripped down. Then she flexed her feeding hand and took a step closer toward Sheppard.

Chuck was angry. No longer was he the observer. No longer did he facilitate the amazing adventures of others. This adventure had thrust itself upon him and it was far from amazing. Adventures were supposed to be fun. He imagined that he would be running away with the beautiful woman by now but _nooo_. He was in one of those awful adventures where everyone dies in the end. All of his life, he had been waiting for an adventure and _this_ is what he got?!

The gate technician decided that he needed to do something. Something completely out of character. Something that would probably get him killed. Something that completely terrified him. Chuck waited until the queen was distracted with Sheppard's suffering. Then he acted.

Chuck slowly eased himself onto his toes then launched forward. He knocked into the queen, right hand flying up in a karate chop action to nail the wraith in the neck while his left hand gripped the hand holding the dagger. He twisted her wrist painfully and the knife clattered to the floor. The queen hissed and flung him backward. Chuck used the momentum to curl into a shoulder roll and pop back up again with speed that surprised even him. The queen was snarling at him. He ran forward, ready for her counterattack. Quite suddenly, a knife blade stuck out of the queens' forehead. Chuck skidded to a stop with the wraith falling on top of him. Sheppard was standing and panting with an angry grimace on his face as he slowly lowered his arm. He stumbled forward and wrenched the knife out of the wraiths head and helped Chuck upright again.

"Thanks." The colonel mumbled carefully, wincing as his lips moved. Chuck nodded dumbly. John ran quietly to the door and peeked around it, keeping one hand firmly on his face. Chuck ran up behind him. The colonel suddenly ducked out of the room. He returned a minute later with a wraith stunner in held loosely his hand.

"Take it." He told Chuck. Chuck baulked.

"Me? I…I can't shoot that—"

"You just tackled a Wraith queen, take the freaking gun." Sheppard growled.

"Yes sir…" Chuck hefted it in his hands, surprised at its weight. "How do I shoot it?"

"Pull the trigger." John explained, a smile tugging at the uninjured side of his face.

"…right. I mean, of course…right."

"You're doing good Chuck. Shoot at anything that moves. We'll be good as long as the alarm doesn't go off." The colonel said. Chuck just nodded. His adrenaline had faded already. The previous anger and determination fled as well leaving Chuck with nothing but terror.

"What happens if the alarm goes off?" He asked.

"You run…really really fast." Sheppard said, completely deadpan. Chucks eyes went wide. Colonel Sheppard took a deep breath and crept forward again, motioning for Chuck to follow. For the first time, Chuck noticed the distinct limp in the military leaders' steps. He moved cautiously and gingerly as if he were nursing another injury. Weariness was starting to show in his face and movements as he doggedly moved forward. Chuck was worried about the small yet obvious blood trail that Sheppard left behind.

They moved down the corridors slowly, carefully. Chuck shot the only guard they came in contact with. Five shots with the stunner brought him down pretty quickly. It was overkill but it gave Chuck an odd sense of satisfaction. However, his satisfaction was quickly squashed by the ever growing concern for the man in front of him. Colonel Sheppard was strong, immensely strong, but even he couldn't last forever. Chuck was astonished that the man was still on his feet as it was. Sheppard continued to amaze Chuck. He had heard stories about the colonel and his team. They were stories about bravery and valor in impossible situations. Chuck had been certain that they were all exaggerated. He was certain that no one was _that_ selfless. And yet, here was Sheppard. Maybe those qualities were what made the man so popular. Valor, courage, self-sacrifice…all the things that Chuck didn't actually possess himself.

Sheppard suddenly stopped walking and swayed slightly.

"Sir?" Chuck squeaked. John shook his head in an attempt to clear it.

"I think I'm bleeding out." He mumbled. "Do you have arteries in your face?" He asked in a nonchalant voice as if they weren't in a life threatening situation.

"Um…I think so." Chuck found the question odd considering their condition.

"Crap." Sheppard sounded like he had just lost a game of solitaire; not like he was bleeding out. The swaying was more prominent now and John couldn't seem to keep his eyes open.

"Sir? I think you should sit down." Chuck held his arms out as if he could keep the man upright by sheer force of will. It failed miserably as the colonel promptly fell sideways; his eyes rolling back.

"Oh…dang…"Chuck mumbled. "This isn't good."

**TBC**


	4. Chapter 4

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"They've been gone to long. I'm worried." Elizabeth said, breaking the silence that had stretched out for over an hour. Teyla smiled encouragingly.

"I am sure they are fine." She reassured Atlantis's leader. "We have been in worse situations before."

"Name three." Ronon quipped darkly. Teyla kicked his foot and frowned.

"They _will_ be fine." She insisted. The four fell into silence again. Finally Rodney spoke up.

"I hear someone coming. Why is it that dark scary prison hallways always echo? I mean seriously, is it some sort of intimidation tactic? Cause its working."

"Shut up McKay." Ronon snapped as he pushed himself up. The sound of feet drew closer then stopped. Ronon frowned. "There's only one." He spoke mostly to himself. The footsteps rang out again but were slower. Then a shaky voice reached their ears.

"Dr.Weir? Dr.McKay? Are you there?"

"Chuck?" Elizabeth called out. Suddenly the technician Popped into view.

"Oh thank goodness, do you know just how _huge_ the prison level is?" Chuck muttered. Rodney instantly saw a distinct difference in the Chuck that was taken away and the Chuck that was here now. This one was far more confident.

"What happened Chuck?" Elizabeth asked.

"Where is Colonel Sheppard?" Teyla demanded. Chuck suddenly balked as if he didn't know what to do… so much for the new Chuck.

"Um…long story short; we killed the wraith queen—"

"What queen?!" Rodney shrieked.

"The one that was on the ship." Chuck explained. "But not before she hurt the Colonel and—"

"Is he ok?" Ronon jumped in the conversation.

"Well, he's unconscious and I couldn't very well drag him with me so I found a place to hide him until he could move on his own…if he doesn't bleed out first." Chuck said everything in one big rush.

"Get us out of here Chuck." Weir ordered sternly.

"Yes ma'am." Chuck slapped the control panel to open the door. Nothing happened. He slapped it again but still nothing happened. "It's not working!" He frantically yelled. Rodney groaned.

"What do I do?" Chuck looked at the other four people in the cell.

"I forgot about this." Rodney said from his position on the floor. "Only wraith DNA will open it." The scientist cursed. No one spoke for several minutes. Finally, Weir spoke.

"Go Chuck; try to find a way to get Sheppard and yourself off this ship." She ordered. Chuck didn't want to go. He wanted to find some way to save these brave people but as much as he wanted to, there simply wasn't any way to do so. No way that he could think of anyway. He nodded.

"Yes ma'am."

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Chuck ran quickly down the hallway and ducked into the small room, shutting the door behind him. The colonel was still where he left him; unconscious and sprawled out on the floor. Chuck had done his best to stop the bleeding by binding the man's head in a strip of cloth and then laying him in such a way as to let the weight of his own head put pressure on the wound. As far as Chuck could see, the bleeding had pretty much stopped.

The technician settled down on the floor and stared at the colonel. He did the only thing he could do; think. He had to get the others out but if Rodney McKay couldn't find a way, then there was no why Chuck could. Weir ordered him to escape with Sheppard but that also seemed impossible. They were lucky enough as it was since the alarm still hadn't gone off. It was only a matter of time till some guard found the bodies and raised the alarm. They were so screwed unless he did something completely ridiculous. Chuck thought about that for a moment. He really had nothing to lose so he let his mind wander over some farfetched schemes. Suddenly Sheppard groaned.

"Sir?"

"Chuck…what the…where are we?" John muttered.

"Um, I think this like a wraith broom closet." Chuck said meekly.

"What are we doing here?"

"Well, you were lying there unconscious and I was trying to figure out what to do next." He explained.

"Didn't you get the others out?" Sheppard suddenly sounded angry. Chuck sighed wearily.

"It's impossible, even Dr.McKay said so. Dr.Weir ordered me to get us out."

"Why is it impossible?!" John demanded.

"I don't know, ask Dr.McKay." Chuck said crossly. John thought for a moment.

"So what's the plan?" He asked. Chuck laughed half heartedly.

"I dunno, maybe we should hijack the ship, fly it to a nearby planet, find your radios, dial the gate via a dart then radio for backup to come and kill all the wraith on board." Chuck said sarcastically. Sheppard just stared at him. "Sorry sir, I've had a _bad_ day." He really didn't want to explain his sarcasm but it was ether that or risk losing his job because he was frustrated.

"Do you know how to fly a wraith hive ship?" The colonel asked. Chucks eyebrow quirked upward.

"Out of all of the errors in that plan, you choose to point out that?" He snapped. Then quickly added, "Sorry sir."

"Would you quit saying that?" John growled. Chuck suddenly panicked thinking he had said something horribly wrong. Then he couldn't help but think that it was idiotic that he was worried about making someone angry rather then worrying about the desperate situation they were in.

"Quit saying what?" Chuck squeaked.

"Quit saying 'sorry sir'. Call me Sheppard. Sir makes me feel like I'm Caldwell or something. You need to loosen up, you're making me nervous." John said, frowning.

"Oh sorry…Sheppard." Chuck stuttered.

"That's better, you still need to work on the whole 'people' thing though." Sheppard insisted. Chuck found the conversation odd and wondered if the colonel had gotten one too many blasts with a stunner.

"Should we be talking about this now?" Chuck asked. Sheppard blinked.

"Now is as good a time as any." He insisted.

"…ok."

"You still need to answer my question. Do you know how to fly a wraith hive ship?" John asked again.

"No."

"That's up to me then. You'll need to find the dart bay. I can use the ships radio to call in. There is still the problem that there are over a thousand wraith running around on this little tub. We should probably figure out how to get the others out since we'll need Teyla's DNA to fly the thing. I think we can just do it the same way we did it last time. I got the one dagger and I bet that stunner will do something to the control panel." John suddenly stopped his rapid explanation and stared at the wall, his face going pale.

"Sir?" There was no response. "Sir." Chuck said a little louder. Still nothing. "Sheppard!" The other man finally blinked and looked at Chuck.

"What?" He asked drunkenly.

"Are you alright?" Chuck inquired. It took Sheppard a few seconds to respond.

"I'm fine." He insisted.

"…sure." Chuck was unconvinced but thought it best not to press the issue. "I think I know how we can get rid of the wraith. Get everyone in the control room then vent the atmosphere out of the rest of the ship."

John stared at him. "We'll need McKay _and_ Teyla for that. Good thinking Chuck. This plan of yours might just work."

"Really?" Chuck was actually shocked that his ridiculous plan could actually succeed. He almost didn't believe the colonel. Most people only complemented him because they were being polite. But then, this wasn't a complement was it? This was for real. Sheppard wasn't trying to be nice. Unless of course he was simply humoring Chuck because no matter what, they were going to die anyway.

"Although," Sheppard suddenly said. "If we're breaking them out, we might as well fly out of here in a dart." That all sounded completely logical to Chuck but something was tugging at the back of his mind.

"We can't do that." He finally said. "The queen was planning on creating a fleet to destroy Atlantis. We gotta destroy what fleet she has so far. What better way to do that then with a wraith hive ship?" Chuck said. Sheppard cocked his head.

"Why don't I remember her saying that?" He asked, disturbed that he missed that _huge_ detail.

"Oh you were busy bleeding all over the floor. You probably weren't paying close attention to what she was saying. I won't tell anyone you missed that." Chuck assured him. He pitted the poor man. The colonel seemed to always have the weight of the world on his shoulders and to miss something like that must have been alarming.

"Thanks Chuck…" John was still frowning. "So I guess we're hijacking this sucker. Think you can get the others out without getting caught? I don't think I'll make it too far so you'll be on your own."

Chuck blanched. He really didn't want to be on his own for this but if it meant saving Atlantis then he really had no choice in the matter did he? It must have killed the colonel to hand that responsibility over to a lowly gate technician. That probably meant that Sheppard seriously doubted his own abilities at the moment and that in and of itself scared the crap out of Chuck and probably scared the crap out of Sheppard too.

"I think I can do it." Chuck begrudgingly admitted.

"Good luck Chuck."

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**TBC, please be so kind as to leave a review! If you've enjoyed it so far, please leave a review just to say so…seriously, even if you only say 'hey' I'll be happy!**


	5. Chapter 5

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"We're going to die aren't we?" Rodney mumbled as he gazed longingly at the cell door. No one answered him. He nodded to himself. "We're going to die." The control panel on the wall was hit by the familiar blue energy of a wraith stunner. It exploded in a spray of sparks. Everyone scrambled to their feet as the door groaned then slid open. Chuck came bounding into view.

"Change of plans." The technician smiled. "I found a way out." He hefted the stunner. McKay stared at him.

"How... That shouldn't have… that shouldn't have worked!" The scientist sputtered.

"Well it did." Ronon muttered as he pushed past him. "What's the plan Chuck?"

Chuck swallowed hard. "Well, we are going to…uh…hijack the um…the ship." He explained. Everyone stared at him with disbelieving eyes.

"Excuse me?" Weir cocked an eyebrow. Chuck took a deep breath.

"We are hijacking—"

"The ship?" Rodney interrupted.

"Yes…"

"How?!"

"We are going to storm the control room and vent the atmosphere out of the rest of the ship." As Chuck explained it, the plan sounded more brilliant then it had in his head.

"Wait…That actually might work." Rodney sounded surprised. The two ladies were smiling at him.

"It is a good plan Chuck." Teyla assured him.

"Thanks." He said smiling.

"Hey!" Rodney snapped. "Stop making googly eyes with the pretty girl. Where is Colonel Sheppard?"

"Follow me." He led them to his hiding place only to find Sheppard toying with unconsciousness. Teyla rushed over to him.

"Colonel Sheppard? Can you hear me?" She asked as she carefully undid the tightly wrapped bandage. His eyes fluttered open to look at her then slowly slid shut again. "He has lost a lot of blood." Teyla concluded. Chuck nodded dumbly. John's eyes shot open.

"We gotta get to the control room." The colonel ordered. "Ronon I need you—"

"No problem." The big man grunted. He immediately moved in and hefted the colonels' weight across his shoulder. Then he nodded to Rodney. "Lead the way."

The six of them moved quickly and quietly through the halls. Chuck was given the guard duty as he was the one with the stunner. He had tried to refuse the job and give it to Teyla instead but she insisted he do it. It was then that he noticed the bags under her eyes and the tightness of her face as if she were in pain. Rodney didn't hide his pain at all but Chuck was impressed that the scientist didn't gripe about it at every opportunity. Then again, Chuck figured that their situation was indeed dire if McKay wasn't complaining. The man usually only complained because he liked to annoy people or because he simply had the time to do it. A silent McKay was a bad sign.

Regardless, they made it to the control room. Chuck clumsily shot the few wraith there, gaining more confidence with each shot fired. Ronon settled Sheppard down in the corner and McKay got to work on sealing the doors shut with Teyla and Weir there to help translate the text that flashed across the screens. Chuck watched them from a distance, suddenly having nothing to do. He glanced over at Ronon who stood uneasily to the side. This was an awkward position for any man of action. He pitted Ronon. The big man had to wait like this often and it must be madding for him.

"Got it!" McKay suddenly shouted. "Venting the atmosphere…now." A warning light flashed and an alarm sounded. It was all surreal. Chuck watched the display screens that showed the dying wraith. For one moment, he felt sorry for them. Only for a moment.

"Good job Rodney." Weir said.

"Thanks. Ok before I take us out of hyperspace, we need to figure out what we're going to do." The scientist insisted. They all looked at Chuck. He blinked.

"Umm…we need to kill as many of the other ships as we can." He said.

"Right…"McKay gave him a strange look. "So that means I'll have to drop out of hyperspace and target everything in site before they catch on to what we're doing. It looks like there are only four wraith cruisers and a handful of transport ships so if we do this fast enough, we should be ok."

Chuck swallowed hard. His stomach was assaulted by an army of butterflies. This plan of his was going to work and for some odd reason that thought scared him.

"Ok, dropping out in…five, four, three, two…one."

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**TBC**

Sorry this was a short chapter, I'll try to be longer on the next one…


	6. Whats this? The End?

A/N: I was convinced that this story was offically dead and buried, never to see the light of day again, only to be mentioned in great shame and humilation. But then it reached up out of the grave and slapped me upside the head, demanding to be finished. So here it is, the very short, somewhat different ending. I don't expect many reviews or words of praise, I only wrote this to end it because i couldn't bare to leave it as it was.

So without further babbling, here is the end to the Man Who Saved the World.

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"And then what? What happened?" Tracy leaned forward, her head resting her hands. Chuck finally looked up from the notebook in his hands. He glanced around, almost forgetting where he was.

"Oh, we destroyed all the ships and got away…nothing really interesting happened after that." He explained. The cute red head wrinkled her nose.

"Can't you think of something cool to happen?" She asked. "Like maybe the ships getting lured into a black hole or a new hive ship pops up out of no where and chase's you guys half way across the galaxy…or something…"

He stared at her. "But that's not what happened."

"Right, but you're the author. Can't you make something else up?"

"Something else? I didn't make anything up." He insisted. Tracy laughed.

"That didn't happen…did it? Chuck?"

"Yes it happened." He snorted indignantly. "You think I would make something like this up?"

"I heard of something happening like that last week but Chuck, we're gate technicians, we don't go on adventures." Tracy insisted.

"And you really think I would make up a story _about myself_?" He asked. "I'm not that arrogant."

Tracy looked at him skeptically. "It really happened?"

"Yes!" Chuck huffed and snapped his notebook shut.

"Hey Chuck!" Colonel Sheppard's voice drifted up from the gate room as the man walked over to him.

"Hey Sheppard. How's your face doing?" Chuck asked. Sheppard reached up briefly and touched the bandage covering the side of his face.

"It's healing." The colonel's eyes flicked over to Tracy and a smile tugged at his lips. "Hey, we're all going to lunch, there's a seat open if you wanna join us."

"Really?" Chuck smiled.

"Yeah sure. I mean, you saved our lives and was all heroic and everything so this is the least we can do." He insisted. "So, you comin'?"

"Yeah, I'm coming. Tracy, can you watch things while I go to lunch?" Chuck asked. The wide-eyed Tracy nodded dumbly, a look of awe on her face. Chuck smiled smugly, grabbed his notebook and trotted off after the colonel.

"Now we are _so_ even." Sheppard insisted as they walked.

"What do you mean?"

"I just completely set it up for you."

"Set _what_ up?"

"I saw you ogling her." Sheppard said. Chuck felt his face flush. John smiled. "All you have to do is ask her and she'll go out with you. Trust me."

Chuck's eyebrows furrowed as he thought about it. Finally he smiled and shook his head in disbelief. "Thanks."

"Don't mention it." Sheppard commanded. "Now come on, we gotta beat Ronon and McKay to the food line or else there won't be anything good left."

"Yes sir."

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**Fin.**


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